This invention relates in general to an apparatus for telecommunication devices and, in particular, to a new and useful connector bank for connecting incoming and outgoing cable wires.
German Pat. No. 34 15 369 teaches a connector bank having two series of accommodation chambers. These accommodation chambers are formed as slot chambers for connection contacts formed as cutting/clamping contacts. A series of plug sockets are arranged between each of the slot chambers. The contact elements are connected electrically conductively with the connection contacts. These plug sockets serve for accommodation of plug contacts of an overvoltage suppressor. For testing the completely wired connector bank according to German Pat. No. 34 15 369, the overvoltage suppressor magazine has to be pulled out from the plug sockets. The overvoltage suppressor magazine must be pulled out so that the test plugs ma be plugged in to the test plug sockets. This well known connector bank has the disadvantage that a test of the completely wired connector bank is only possible without overvoltage protection. Additionally, it is a disadvantage that the plugged-on overvoltage suppressor magazine appreciably increases the constructional height of the connector bank. According to this arrangement, a greater space is required when mounting the connector bank in a housing, e.g. a terminal block is required.
German Pat. No. 33 06 263 teaches another connector bank for elecommunication devices having two series of connection chambers for the connection contacts of the cable wires. A chamber opening towards the top of the connector bank is provided for accommodation of the overvoltage suppressor magazine. By this arrangement, a constructional height of the connector bank with plugged-in overvoltage suppressor magazine is reduced considerably. Unfortunately, testing of the completely wired connector bank is only possible after removing the overvoltage suppressor magazine (pulling the overvoltage suppressor magazine out).
German Pat. No. 36 14 952 teaches a connector bank in which incoming cable wires are connected rigidly to the cutting/clamping contacts which are each arranged in slot chambers of a plastic housing. The outgoing cable wires are connected to cutting/clamping contacts of plugs, each plug being inserted into a plug chamber of the plastic housing. The plug contacts can be plugged-in into plug sockets in the bottom of the plug chambers. The plug sockets in the bottom of the plug chambers which receive the plugs of the outgoing cable wires also serve for a plug chamber for plugging in the test plugs into the connector bank. By this arrangement, to plug the test plug in, the plugs of the outgoing cable wires must first be removed from the connector bank. With this connector bank, it is not possible, to perform a test with complete wiring, although within the plastic housing, accommodation chambers for overvoltage suppressors are formed, being conductively connected over contact elements with the connecting contacts of the cable wires.